Empowered by Self-Love the Podcast

About Empowered by Self-Love the Podcast

If you are looking for a safe place to find inspiration, motivation, and tools to become Empowered, then this is the Podcast to listen to. My name is Jessica Fuentes and I welcome you to Empowered by Self-Love the Podcast. I will be talking about daily life situations that we all experience and how to transform the difficulties we encounter into lessons. How to transform our victim mindset into one of opportunity and growth. If you want to transform your life, like I transformed mine, the key is to learn and realize that you have everything you need within yourself.

Publisher

Jessica Fuentes

Category

education · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

1 Jun 2024

Latest episode

16 Sept 2026

Latest episodes

64 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   16 Sept 2026

   When Life Forces You to Reinvent Yourself — with Dr. Malaysia Harrell (S2:E8)

   What happens when the life you worked so hard to build suddenly changes? When the career, title, accomplishments, identity—or even the version of yourself you thought you would always be—no longer exists in the same way? In this episode of Empowered by Self-Love: The Reinvention Series, I sit down with Dr. Malaysia Harrell, a board-certified psychotherapist, U.S. Air Force veteran, TEDx speaker, and founder of Blissful Life Consulting, the Malaysia Harrell Foundation, and the Align Success Academy. After more than 20 years of military service, Dr. Malaysia experienced a near-death medical crisis that changed the trajectory of her life. What followed was more than physical recovery. It became a journey of healing, rediscovering her identity, redefining success, and learning who she was beyond the uniform, the titles, and the accomplishments that had once played such an important role in defining her life. During our conversation, Dr. Malaysia opens up about the "mask" of strength she had learned to wear, the reality of healing beneath the inspirational language we often use to describe it, and what happens when life forces you to confront parts of yourself you may have spent years avoiding. We also explore the relationship between achievement and identity, the mind-body connection, burnout, faith, authenticity, purpose, and what it means to build a life around alignment and impact rather than external definitions of success. One of the most powerful ideas throughout our conversation is the reminder that when you find yourself in a season where you cannot yet see what exists on the other side, you get to recreate it. Reinvention doesn't necessarily mean rejecting the person you used to be. Sometimes it means honoring every version of yourself that helped you get here—while giving yourself permission to become who you are meant to be next. 🎙️ In This Episode, We Talk About: Building an identity around achievement, strength, service, and professional success The life-threatening medical crisis that changed Dr. Malaysia's trajectory Losing the identity attached to a career and learning to answer, "Who am I now?" The difference between looking strong and actually healing What healing can really look like when the process isn't pretty or comfortable The connection between the mind, body, spirit, and our overall well-being Recognizing when your life or career is no longer aligned with who you are Redefining success beyond titles, money, and accomplishments Learning to honor previous versions of yourself instead of rejecting them Turning painful experiences into purpose without allowing the pain to become your identity Giving yourself permission to recreate your life What reinvention has taught Dr. Malaysia about identity, authenticity, alignment, and purpose ✨ About Dr. Malaysia Harrell Dr. Malaysia Harrell is a board-certified psychotherapist, U.S. Air Force veteran, TEDx speaker, and founder of Blissful Life Consulting, the Malaysia Harrell Foundation, and the Align Success Academy. After more than 20 years of military service, a near-death medical crisis transformed the course of her life, leading her on a profound journey of healing that ultimately inspired her to earn a PhD in Mind-Body Medicine. Today, she helps high-achieving women, veterans, executives, and leaders understand that true success isn't measured by achievement alone, but by alignment between the mind, body, spirit, and purpose. Through the Align Success Academy, Dr. Malaysia equips high-achieving women with tools to heal from burnout, regulate their nervous systems, rediscover their authentic identity, and build lives and careers that are both deeply fulfilling and sustainably successful. She has shared her message on stages including TEDx, NASW Maryland, the Military Influencers Conference, and UCONN and is the author of God Has My Six, a memoir chronicling her journey through trauma, military service, faith, healing, and transformation. 🔗 Connect with Dr. Malaysia & Explore Her Resources 📩 Join Dr. Malaysia's Mailing List: https://peaceful-mode-50551.myflodesk.com/bxyyg0wd9a (https://peaceful-mode-50551.myflodesk.com/bxyyg0wd9a) 📓 Unmasking Your Authentic Self Digital Journal: https://peaceful-mode-50551.myflodesk.com/unmasking-your-authentic-self ✨ Manifest The True You Manifestation Journal: https://view.flodesk.com/pages/646813e2e82b9b7afc930e42 (https://view.flodesk.com/pages/646813e2e82b9b7afc930e42) 🎁 FREE Manifestation Guide: https://peaceful-mode-50551.myflodesk.com/jkspj7anrt (https://peaceful-mode-50551.myflodesk.com/jkspj7anrt) 🌟 Align Success Community – Exclusive Waitlist: http://jotform.com/build/260603180917050 (http://jotform.com/build/260603180917050) 🤍 Stay Connected If this message resonates with you, I'd love to continue the conversation with you beyond the podcast. 🌐 Website: www.empowered-selflove.com 📩 Email: jessica.fuentes@empowered-selflove.com 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowered-selflove (https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowered-selflove) 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowered.selflove (https://www.facebook.com/empowered.selflove) 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowered.selflove/ (https://www.instagram.com/empowered.selflove/) ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@empowered.selflove (https://www.youtube.com/@empowered.selflove) ✨ New episodes will be released monthly. Make sure to follow or subscribe so you don't miss what's coming next.

2. 

   19 Aug 2026

   The Hidden Cost of Playing It Safe (S2:E6)

   What if the decision that feels safest today is actually the one keeping you stuck? We often think fear is obvious. We expect it to sound like "I'm afraid" or "I can't do this." But sometimes fear sounds much more reasonable: "Maybe next year." "When I have more time." "When the kids are older." "When I'm more qualified." "When I feel ready." In this episode of Empowered by Self-Love: The Reinvention Series, I explore how fear can disguise itself as logic—and how the seemingly insignificant decisions we make every day can quietly shape our careers, confidence, and ultimately our lives. I also share my own experience of spending nearly eighteen years in a career that provided stability and security, while gradually convincing myself that pursuing something more could wait. It wasn't one major decision that kept me there. It was hundreds of quiet ones. Until circumstances forced me to move—and I began to recognize that I wasn't lacking experience or capability. I needed to see my experience differently, learn how to position my value, and challenge the stories I had accepted about what was possible for me. In This Episode, We Explore: How fear can disguise itself as responsibility and logic The difference between intentionally choosing security and unconsciously choosing familiarity Why staying where you are carries risks too How we can underestimate our abilities when our experience becomes familiar to us Why professional positioning matters Why confidence often comes after action—not before it How one conversation or a different perspective can change the way you see yourself Why the quiet decisions you make today can determine where you find yourself years from now 5 Tools to Help You Stop Playing Small 1. The Fact or Story Test When you tell yourself you aren't ready, qualified, capable, or able to do something, ask: Is this actually a fact—or is it a story I've repeated so often that I've accepted it as truth? 2. Calculate the Cost of Inaction Don't only ask, "What could happen if I take the risk?" Also ask: "What could it cost me if I don't?" Doing nothing is still a decision—and it has consequences. 3. Take the Smallest Courageous Step You don't need to change your entire life tomorrow. Identify one action that moves you forward. Apply for the position. Have the conversation. Update your LinkedIn profile. Ask the question. Research the opportunity. Speak up in the meeting. Confidence isn't something you have to wait for. Confidence is built through action. 4. Create an Impact Inventory Stop defining yourself only by your job title or responsibilities. Ask yourself: What problems have I solved? What have I improved? Who relies on me? Where have I demonstrated leadership? What impact have I created? Learning to communicate your value isn't bragging. It's learning to stop minimizing the experience you've worked years to build. 5. Borrow Perspective Sometimes we're simply too close to our own experience to recognize our strengths. A mentor, coach, colleague, friend, or trusted professional can sometimes help you see possibilities you've stopped seeing for yourself. Your Challenge Think about one thing you've been postponing until "maybe next year." Then ask yourself: What am I actually waiting for? And finally: What is one decision I can make within the next seven days that moves me one step closer? You don't need to reinvent your entire life today. But you can make one decision that changes the direction you're moving in. Because playing it safe isn't always the safest choice. Sometimes the greatest risk is spending years protecting the life you already have at the expense of the life you're capable of creating. 💛 Connect with Me If this episode resonated with you and you're on your own journey of reinvention, confidence-building, or personal growth, I'd love to connect. 🌐 Website: www.empowered-selflove.com 📩 Email: jessica.fuentes@empowered-selflove.com 💬 Interested in coaching? Send me a message with the word "CONFIDENCE" and let's start the conversation. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowered-selflove (https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowered-selflove) 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowered.selflove (https://www.facebook.com/empowered.selflove) 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowered.selflove (https://www.instagram.com/empowered.selflove) ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@empowered.selflove (https://www.youtube.com/@empowered.selflove) ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider following, subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may need this message today. Empowered by Self-Love: The Reinvention Series Where Self-Love Becomes Confident Leadership.

3. 

   20 Jul 2026

   Breaking Free from Other People's Expectations: How to Stop Living for Approval and Start Living with Purpose (S2:E6)

   How much of your life has been shaped by your own dreams... and how much has been shaped by other people's expectations? In this episode Jessica explores one of the greatest obstacles to personal growth: allowing other people's fears, opinions, and limiting beliefs to define the life you're capable of creating. Using the powerful metaphor of "the drawer," Jessica shares how many of us spend years hiding our talents, dreams, and potential because we fear criticism, rejection, or disappointing others. Through personal stories from her own journey, inspiring examples from well-known leaders and athletes, and practical coaching strategies, she challenges you to step outside the life you've settled for and begin living with greater confidence, purpose, and authenticity. In this episode, you'll discover: Why so many people unknowingly live according to other people's expectations. How childhood messages and inherited beliefs shape your confidence. The hidden cost of seeking approval instead of pursuing purpose. Jessica's personal story of living "inside the drawer" and how she found a new purpose through coaching, writing, and speaking. What Oprah Winfrey, Walt Disney, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Lamine Yamal can teach us about believing in ourselves despite criticism and difficult circumstances. Why self-belief alone isn't enough—and how discipline, consistency, and action transform potential into achievement. Five practical ways to break free from limiting beliefs and begin creating the life you truly want. Five Ways to Break Free from Other People's Expectations: Question every limiting belief. Stop waiting for everyone to agree. Let curiosity become stronger than fear. Define success on your own terms. Believe in yourself enough to take the first step. Key Takeaway You cannot control what other people believe about you. You cannot control the expectations they place on your life. But you can choose whether those expectations become the walls that keep you confined—or the motivation that inspires you to step outside the drawer and become the person you were created to be. The life you've been waiting for doesn't begin when everyone else believes in you. It begins the moment you believe in yourself—and take action. 💛 Connect with Me If this episode resonated with you and you're on your own journey of reinvention, confidence-building, or personal growth, I'd love to connect. 🌐 Website: www.empowered-selflove.com 📩 Email: jessica.fuentes@empowered-selflove.com 💬 Interested in coaching? Send me a message with the word "CONFIDENCE" and let's start the conversation. 🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/empowered-selflove 📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/empowered.selflove 📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empowered.selflove ▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@empowered.selflove ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, please consider following, subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with someone who may need this message today.

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

24,159

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

6 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 77 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

88

Social presence

97

YouTube

85

Engagement

32

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